Once More, With Feeling
by Starlight's Poet
Summary: Frisk couldn't take it. Neither could Sans. He tries everything, but no matter what, the result is the same. Genocide...but the last time breaks him. When the next reset comes, things are...a little bit different. "do all humans feel the need to take a dump or something after eating? if so, then i'd like to go back to being a skeleton, thank you."


**A genocide begins with the killing of one man - not for what he has done, but because of who he is.  
-Kofi Annan**

 _UNDERTALE:_

 _Once More, With Feeling_

Episode 01: A Bad Time Ends  


* * *

After so many RESETS, after so many failed attempts...Sans thought he couldn't feel anything anymore. He had tried everything, to maybe preserve any sanity, that is if he still had any, however much he had left...but it didn't matter in the slightest.

He remembered everything after each one. Came with the perks of having a photographic memory. First time was something of a middle ground; the kid, Frisk, had killed monsters, but spared some. She (was she even female? She looked like it, even though her scrawny body made her look like a boy, along with her clothes) killed almost every monster in the RUINS, but couldn't bring herself to even so much as slash at Toriel. After she left, though it was truly survival. She killed so many monsters, but when she met Papyrus...something must have struck a cord with her, as she didn't harm him in the least. Sans was happy for that. The most important thing was his brother. Since then, she killed less monsters, though her LV (Level of Violence) was still high enough for her to take on some of the more challenging foes.

Second time, the kid seemed to learn something. She did her best, and somehow made peace with the other monsters. For a while, Sans thought that maybe this was how things were supposed to go. Hell, she even got Asgore, that big old softie, to not try and kill her, unlike the last time they met.

Things didn't go that way, unfortunately. Something must have happened, and now he was back in his home for the third time. Frisk tried again, but something seemed...disturbingly wrong with her. Sans noticed that creepy, demented look in her eyes. What it was, he couldn't figure it out...not until he went inside the RUINS, and found the Dust that was once Toriel. When he returned, Papyrus was still okay, albeit shaken up. Sans couldn't say the same for the other monsters...including Undyne. She fought the kid, her DETERMINATION burning high...but it backfired on her, and she dissolved away. Asgore followed not long after.

For the fourth time, it was worse. Every monster in the RUINS was dust, including Toriel. Same in SNOWDIN, several monsters were killed. It wasn't until he found Papyrus' scarf that he realized that Frisk had changed somehow. She was murderous, monstrous even. Sans knew he had to stop her. At first it was easy, yet hard all the same. He killed her several times, but her ability to SAVE and LOAD had given her the advantage. Eventually, she defeated him. He assumed that she had gone on to slay Asgore next.

The fifth time, he looked into what the hell was going on. During Frisk's journey, he investigated what could have caused whatever causing the RESETS, as well as what may have caused Frisk to become what she was now. He found a few notes left behind by the previous royal scientist, and he eventually found what he was looking for. Supposedly, a SOUL could be revived and strengthened if another's DETERMINATION was strong. Frisk had DETERMINATION in spades. Hell, not even Undyne, when she was full of it during Frisk's murderous rampage (he referred to this as the Genocide Path for future reference) could match Frisk's power. It was how her LV (Level of Violence) had grown to the point where she could slay Asgore in a single slash. Frisk had still taken to the Genocide Path, so he was forced to once again intervene. He fell like before.

The sixth time, he looked even deeper. The SOUL that was influencing her must have been here in the Underground before. He eventually found a possible match; "Chara." The late child of Asgore and Toriel, Asriel's adopted brother. He died of illness, and Asriel merged their souls together to venture into the human world and take the dead child's body to the village so he could see the bed of flowers. However, the humans attacked due to misunderstanding. Asriel died, and in one day, Asgore lost both of his children...and became the man he was today. He collected six human SOULS. All he needed now was the seventh. Frisk was still on the path of Genocide, and by then, Sans had started to grow numb as a result of the RESETS. The only things that made him stand in her way was trying to save Frisk, and Papyrus being killed.

The seventh time ended the same; Frisk slaughtered everyone. However, Sans was learning more with each RESET. Looking through the notes left behind by G.W. Gaster, he had been observing an interesting phenomenon; "alternate timelines." He wasn't entirely sure what this was exactly, but he had a feeling these RESETS could be considered timelines. Each was different, but held enough similarities to be considered apart of the same world. Apparently, these RESETS have been going on for a long time. Who was doing it or why was unknown so far, but these anomalies always centered on Frisk. There were three patterns to her; Genocide, where she killed everything and everyone...Neutral, where she both killed and pacified monsters...and Pacifist, where none were slain. From what he read, the timelines also centered on something else, specifically timelines relating to the Genocide Frisk. A child in a green-striped sweater.

The eighth time was the same as the last few times. Now, however, Sans was sure. The boy was identified in the last document of Gaster - Chara. Somehow, Chara was influencing Frisk, causing her to kill everyone close to her. They had even affected her in other timelines. Chara's ultimate goal seemed to be taking complete possession of Frisk, or at least making them a puppet. Frisk, seeking whatever chance to restore wrongs, sold her SOUL to Chara...though it did little. Even if she was Genocide in one timeline and a Pacifist in another, she was still soulless. So that begged the question...if Frisk was without a soul, then what was becoming of HIS Frisk? She must have been causing the last couple of RESETS, no doubt selling her SOUL to Chara, so how much was left of her? Sadly, he couldn't find out, or he was aware of it and just chose to deny it. It didn't matter, as he was killed.

Now...it was the ninth time he had done this. His bones were shaking, soaked with set and his clothes were rubbing against his body uncomfortably. The cathedral was stabbed with bones and burnt with scorch marks, due to his spare bones and Gaster Blasters. Away from him, Frisk was panting, slumped on the ground, knife trembling in her hand. He could feel himself getting tired. Any second now, the path of Genocide would repeat, and his body would fail. He'd die...again. It wouldn't matter. It didn't matter how many RESETS happened after this...he had to save Frisk somehow, and by extension Papyrus. He's failed him so many times now...he couldn't afford it anymore. Honestly, he was surprised he was still persisting. He would have thought that he would have given up already. Why was he so damned insistent? Was it because she meant so much to him? Or was it something else? Regardless, from the look of things...this fight was going to end soon.

"i know you didn't answer me before, but... somewhere in there. i can feel it. there's a glimmer of a good person inside of you. the memory of someone who once wanted to do the right thing. someone who, in another time, might have even been... a friend? c'mon, buddy. do you remember me? please, if you're listening... let's forget all of this, ok? just lay down your weapon, and... well, my job will be a lot easier."

How many times has he said that? How many times has she fallen for it and found herself pierced by bones? How many times has he killed her with this? Honestly, he's forgotten. He knew that, by now, she was so far gone because of Chara. She would just continue the attack...and he can't dodge forever. Soon, he'd get so tired and he'd lose. Two cuts would strike him down. Seriously...one would think after eight RESETS, he'd have learned to build up his tolerance and strength.

He was about to brace himself for the next attack, as Frisk got up from her feet. Her breathing was in pants, and her knife was at the ready. However...something was wrong. Her motions were jerky, like she couldn't move right. The knife was shaking. His eyes narrowed, preparing for an attack just in case.

However...her words made him freeze.

"...S-Sans?"

Slowly, Frisk raised her head. Her lips were quivering, tears spilling from her face, dropping to the floor. The skeleton nearly took a step back. What? W-what was this? She never did this before...not in the past RESETS. What was happening? Wait, was she...resisting Chara?

"kid?" Sans slowly approached. "kiddo, that's you, right?"

Frisk sobbed, her whole body shaking. She looked like she was in pain, despite not having taken any damage from him yet. "S-Sans," she whimpered, taking a shaky, slow step back. "It...it hurts...I-I can feel...something in the back of m-my head...I-I can hear someone...screaming!" She shook her head violently, as if in denial. "I-it keeps telling me to kill you...!"

She WAS resisting. That wonderful kid he met back then was there!

"c'mon, kid, fight it!" Sans urged her. He corrected himself. He wasn't urging her...he was BEGGING her. "i don't know what that brat's doing, but fight it!"

"I...I can't," Frisk said tearfully. She eventually fell to her knees. "S-Sans, it hurts...it hurts it hurts it hurts..." She stared back at him, her wonderful brown eyes quivering. "I-I don't...I don't want to...kill you!"

"you don't have to! just fight that brat! c'mon, you can do it, kid! you just have to-"

"I don't...wanna kill anymore," Sans felt the lights that acted as his eyes grew in size as he watched the knife slowly reach up...all the way to her slim, tiny neck. "I...don't wanna..."

If he had a heart, it would have been pumping. His feet pounded against the floor. He was sprinting, trying to reach her. Her SOUL was floating next to her like it always as, floating and waiting. If he didn't act now...! "Kid, DON'T!"

By the time he reached her, it was too late. Red splattered against his coat, Papyrus' scarf, and his skull. The blotches were cut by white tears, cascading down his cheeks while his arms wrapped around her falling body. The knife clattered to the ground, and Frisk's SOUL was split in two, falling to the ground and shattering like glass.

"...d...da...dam..."

This...wasn't happening, right?

"...damn...damn...damn..."

There was...no way, right? Frisk, she...she couldn't have...

"...dammit...dammit...dammit..."

She couldn't have done that, right? S-she was always so bright and joyful, wasn't she? She couldn't have just...just...

"Dammit. Dammit. Dammit."

Frisk was...she was...s-she was...

...she was...gone.

For the first time...she was...truly gone.

The tears fell like a dam breaking apart. He clung to her, and reared back his skull, a scream ripping out from the bones of his neck. A scream that seemed to echo up to the surface, and into the heavens. A scream heard by Asgore from within his Throne Room. A scream heard by Flowey who waited for her. A scream heard by any human remotely close to Mt. Ebott.

A scream made by a skeleton named Sans.

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAMMIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

The Tenth Reset.

The blackness was familiar to him at this point, as was the numbing feeling. Strangely, his head hurt somewhat. That was different, but eh, whatever. He was used to things like this. Hm, strange...he actually remembered a few things from last time. It was a sad thing, actually, as the memory was bitter. Frisk had stabbed herself in the throat, something that never happened before. It was still a horrible thing to see. If he had a heart, it would actually make it hurt. Dammit, why did she have to do that...? But, still, the fact that she did that meant she had managed to regain control of herself from Chara. That obviously meant something.

However...the fact that Frisk killed herself horrified him. Being killed was one thing, but having the power of SAVE could be useful. Even if you die, you could be revived to fight back. But if you kill yourself...its the same as destroying your SOUL. In G.W. Gaster's notes, the idea of someone destroying their SOUL, even if they had the probability of the power of SAVE, was the same as suicide - there was no return. It was "true death." Frisk had killed herself. Her SOUL was destroyed, all by her own hand. The mere thought of that was enough to nearly make Sans weep. He could feel the darkness recede. That meant it was almost time for this new timeline to begin. If he could right now, he would sigh. How troublesome...but you know what they say. Ten times the charm, right?

However, when the darkness faded away...he was greeted with something DEFINITELY different. Instead of the comfort of his room, he was in...the RUINS?

"...what the heck?"

He blinked. What the hell was wrong with his voice? Why did it sound so...well, better? It felt younger too. And good god, what was that weird sensation? Just saying three words and clearing his throat brought forth an unusual sensation to the bone that was apart of his neck. His hand went to check and see if anything was wrong, and felt something he felt only a few times before:

Skin.

His eyes widened, and felt another sensation. He ripped off the gloves of his hands, and was greeted by fleshy digits, rough and callous. The sight startled him, but what startled him more was when he started to grope his face. Gums were covering the area around his teeth, lips covering them, a hole connecting to his spine leading down to the intestines he DEFINITELY didn't have before, and a tongue flapping around and exploring the insides of his mouth. An odd, rhythmic beating pounded against his ribcage, uncomfortable at first but soon felt in pace with it.

"W-what...the hell?!"

Sans couldn't believe it. Was this...for real?

W-was he...

...human?

* * *

 _...I shouldn't be writing this. I really shouldn't. I just got into Undertale, then watched AMVs of the Genocide Route...and writing this while listening to Nathan Sharp's Genocide song "Ashes" brought me to fucking tears. Goddammit..._


End file.
